Biography of Ivy Lillian Binks (Ivy Lillian Mays)

Born 8 March 1909 at Manor Park, Essex, and baptised on 31 March 1911 at East Ham.

In the 1911 census she's living at 45 Manor Park, Essex with her parents Percy (35) & Ada (38), sister Violet (9), brothers Percy (6) and Henry (4), and her grandfather Stephen (66). Both her grandfather & father are brewers coopers.

Ivy married Edgar Binks, a Colonial Civil Servant (Bursar/accountant), in the spring of 1932 at Hendon, Middlesex, and lived for a short time with his parents at 36 Willowfield Way, Golders Green, London NW11. Edgar & Ivy sailed together to Accra, Ghana on 1 June 1932, returning on 18 February 1933. Then again together to Ghana on 19 April 1933, returning on 3 April 1934.

Edgar travelled alone to Ghana on 13 June 1934; Ivy followed on 13 September the same year. They probably both returned to the UK in 1935.

Ivy's husband went back again to Ghana in February 1936; their daughter Patricia was born in Essex in the summer of 1936 while he was away. Edgar returned home March 1937, and left again June 1937. It seems that Ivy & Patricia followed him to Ghana later, then they all returned to the UK together on 4 June 1938; Patricia was 22 months old at the time.

Ivy's last trip to Ghana with her daughter was probably late 1938; she came home without Edgar (he returned later) on 5 May 1939, staying at 19 Martley Drive, Ilford, Essex.

Edgar was posted to Ghana 4 more times between 1940 and 1950, while Ivy & Patricia stayed at their new home at 6 Ashford Drive, Gants Hill, Ilford. He died in 1987. Ivy died on 18 June 1995, age 86, still at 6 Ashford Drive.